CAA or book directly?

[rodeo65]

For our June 2009 trip we booked through our CAA store's travel agency on the 4/3 deal. It was a shorter time span in planning (we started in January) so the deals were out already. We really liked having the free diamond parking as one of the CAA perks since we drove down and mostly drove to the parks.

I've just been given an ok by DH to start looking into January 2011 but of course the packages won't be out until August.

I called Disney to ask if they would do anything with CAA which they won't on packages - just on room only.

Also we received a PIN in November for dates through I think August 2010 but of course stuck it away since it didn't apply to us. The plan at that time was March 2011, now it's January, so that PIN wouldn't apply either way.

If we book directly the room now, we can then apply a package when it comes out if applicable to us but CAA won't enter into it. If a PIN comes along after that we can also try to apply that if booked directly. The CAA agent can "try" to apply a PIN was what the CM told me on the phone.

Have any of you booked through CAA and directly, and if so what did you find was the better way? With our CAA trip last year it was non refundable or transferrable. I remember having paid for it and then H1N1 cropped up and at first there was so much panic-inducing information that we thought we might have lost the $. I know booking directly there is much more leeway to cancel and to change dates.

Any advice or experiences would be really helpful. TIA!!

 

[maggieb9975]

I booked once with CAA and would never again...I am sure offices differ but I found it very annoying trying to contact my agent and wait for her to get back to me...sometimes days...

I much prefer doing all the booking myself through Disney..you have control of everything that way I have booked a trip for Oct/Nov 2010 and have had it booked since Sept! I just keep watching and hoping for deals...I did already get the CAA discount on our rooms......

If you are on the DIS a lot you will probably know about deals before your CAA agent , and you can just call DIsney....

enjoy planning!

 

[vacation_junkie]

For our June 2009 trip we booked through our CAA store's travel agency on the 4/3 deal. It was a shorter time span in planning (we started in January) so the deals were out already. We really liked having the free diamond parking as one of the CAA perks since we drove down and mostly drove to the parks.

I've just been given an ok by DH to start looking into January 2011 but of course the packages won't be out until August.

I called Disney to ask if they would do anything with CAA which they won't on packages - just on room only.

Also we received a PIN in November for dates through I think August 2010 but of course stuck it away since it didn't apply to us. The plan at that time was March 2011, now it's January, so that PIN wouldn't apply either way.

If we book directly the room now, we can then apply a package when it comes out if applicable to us but CAA won't enter into it. If a PIN comes along after that we can also try to apply that if booked directly. The CAA agent can "try" to apply a PIN was what the CM told me on the phone.

Have any of you booked through CAA and directly, and if so what did you find was the better way? With our CAA trip last year it was non refundable or transferrable. I remember having paid for it and then H1N1 cropped up and at first there was so much panic-inducing information that we thought we might have lost the $. I know booking directly there is much more leeway to cancel and to change dates.

Any advice or experiences would be really helpful. TIA!!

Booked with CAA all the previous times...this time with Disney Directly. Rcv'd the same package with CAA as with Disney directly except for the extra $25 gift card Caa gives.....much easier to deal direct.

 

[twokids0204]

We bought through CAA last year... and found that they were not very helpful after the booking. We wanted to extend an extra day, and called Disney Direct, they said since we booked with CAA we had to make any changes with CAA.

After speaking with CAA they were not able to make the change. We simply booked a night at the Ramada 5 mins from Disney at www.hotels.ca ($50 CDN)

 

[Sue M]

I'd book directly with WDW. I went to my local CAA and they really didn't know much about WDW booking. They gave me a quote that was way higher then the quote from WDW because they used a secondary carrier like Sun Fun or something. And this Agent said she was a WDW specialist

 

[YukiPhnx]

I personally booked through an agent from Mouse Fan Travel. They will book for you directly with WDW and you won't have to do any of the calling!

I just gave them my CAA number and the discount was added onto my room-only reservation

I highly recommend Jan Pepe from this agency. She is absolutely wonderful and often replies to my emails on the same day! It sure takes a lot out of the booking and I don't have to pay for long distance calls with Disney!

 

[Remmy]

We are leaving soon for our trip booked through CAA. This is the second time we are using their services.

Last year, our travel agent actually knew quite a lot as that is where she travels at least once a year. She said if anything better came along, you bet she could apply it to our existing reservation. Unfortunately nothing better came along that would drop our price.

This year, with our local CAA office closed I phoned up the 1-800 # and found an agent that was not helpful at all and didn't know what she was talking about as she said I could not purchase the 4/3 deal through them and apply the dining plan. I didn't book and talked online with a Disney rep through the Disney site and they said yes, it could be done.

I phoned back and asked to be transferred to the store I felt closest. I then talked to a travel agent who I don't believe, in my opinion, to be an expert nor is she outgoing as I told her exactly what I wanted to book. We purchased with the 4/3 deal and QSDP, as that was cheaper than a room only discount. It is the same price I came up with using the Disney website.

I booked through CAA to obtain the Storytime in MK as we did it last year and the kids loved it. I also love the Diamond card used for shopping as we receive various discounts we will use (and did use on our last trip). Some examples are:
10% off purchases of $75.00 or more at the World of Disney
15% Earl of Sandwich
and more.

I wish you the best.

Remmy

 

[YukiPhnx]

I'm a new member of the CAA. Can someone explain to me what a Diamond card is and how I get?

 

[wannago2disney]

I am a CAA member and choose not to use them for our trip mostly because by booking separately, using our CAA for room only discount and purchasing our tickets from undercover tourist I get a better deal.

However, if you want a "package", and a CAA discount, you have to use a CAA travel agent. If you want the dining plan and a CAA discount, I think you have to use CAA as well.

Room only discount using CAA# booking direct with CRO was about 10% this January I think.....We booked back in August when the new rates came out and added our CAA#.....however disney offered a general public code in December for Dates in 2010 that was WAY better so I called back and had them apply that. Ended up getting a great deal....with tax, we are paying an average of $66.16/night for 10 night stay.

We purchaced our park tickets from undercovertourist early last year before the price went up again. So we saved quite a bit form that as well.

We book our airfare ourselves too.

I did go into our local CAA and had them quote me my entire trip at last year's rates and I knew that I could do better myself. (we don't do dining plan)
The bennefits of not booking a package, are that you only have to put down 1 nights deposit with the balance paid at check in. There is no cancellation penalty up to 5 days prior to check in then there is a fee. for packages, you have to have them paid in full 90 days prior to check in I believe and then there is a cancellation fee involved there somewhere.

if you are not sure, you can book a room only reservation and pay the 1 night deposit. This ensures that you get the resort you want. when the new prices come out in Aug., you can call back and add you CAA# for the room discount. If a really good package comes out, you can either book direct through Disney (no discount), they just cancel your "room only" and make a new "package" reservation and your deposit gets credited to the new reservation or if you want to get the CAA discount on the package (if there is one), you can just go to CAA and have the new reservations made and cancel your origingal and Disney will refund your deposit.

From everything I have read here on the boards, the best thing to do when using any TA is to make sure that they are VERY knowledgeable about disney. and you have to be comfortable leaving the planning to someone else.

 

[Queenscoroots]

Hi there. We investigated both using CAA and booking ourselves (last trip was in 2008), and I got a much better deal by booking myself through Disney (40% off package) with PIN. We called three or four times before a PIN was associated with our name, but it was worth it! CAA is great, but I found I was more knowledgeable about Disney - and the flight prices they quoted me were the same as I could get myself, i.e., there was no CAA discount on flights.

 

[wannago2disney]

[=Queenscoroots;35039531]Hi there. We investigated both using CAA and booking ourselves (last trip was in 2008), and I got a much better deal by booking myself through Disney (40% off package) with PIN. We called three or four times before a PIN was associated with our name, but it was worth it! CAA is great, but I found I was more knowledgeable about Disney - and the flight prices they quoted me were the same as I could get myself, i.e., there was no CAA discount on flights.

no discount on flights plus I believe you have to pay CAA a service fee for booking your flight for you....I know for sure you do through sears.

 

[Remmy]

I'm a new member of the CAA. Can someone explain to me what a Diamond card is and how I get?

A Diamond Card for shopping can be used at various places for either free items, or you receive a discount at certain restaurants, golfing, shopping, etc. Again, it is only at some places, not every where in Disney.

You can only receive a Diamond card for shopping and parking if you book through CAA. We don't use the parking portion but I do make good use of the shopping card. We do our major shopping at World of Disney as we pick up all the souvenirs for our family, friends and ourselves here and enjoy saving some money on items we would normally purchase anyway.

We also enjoy the Story Time in MK with our children that is a perk with booking through CAA, which you don't have to pay extra for the children to have a story read to them by a character and then pose for photos and sign for autographs.

I don't feel I personally lost any control either time I booked through CAA as I feel the agents did exactly what I asked them to do both times. With my knowledge gained through these boards I received all deals that would be available to anyone else.

We enjoyed using the dining plan, and this time the QSDP as we like to pre-pay for that part of our vacation and not have to think about handing out money constantly while on our vacation for that portion of it.

It is all on what you wish to do. Through my experience if you have a good CAA travel agent they can make changes to how you wish it to be. I always appreciate receiving extra discounts for booking the same package I would through Disney themselves.

Remmy

 

[rodeo65]

Thanks so much for all of your responses. I have so much more to think about now. Last year, when booking I knew absolutely nothing. I had only ever gone with my parents growing up (no planning involved there it was all mom) and DH before we were married and that was a last minute thing 15 years ago; no packages, no dining plan we just booked a room and went.

When we decided in January to book for June I didn't know about the 4/3 offer. We were going to stay in my parent's condo and decided to add a couple of days at Disney on. When I got to CAA they told me about the 4/3 and we decided to go for it. Planning to pay for two, might as well pay for 4 and get a week.

Having been on this board for a year, I now know a little bit about what to look for, but there is still so much that I don't know.

For example, Queenscoroots; are you saying you can call up to book without having received a PIN and ask if there is one associated with your name? Kind of a go fish for PINs game?

I think I'm leaning to trying to do it myself this time -I just loved that parking perk since last time we drove much of the time to the parks.